– Report will be subject of public meeting of New England Comparative Effectiveness Public Advisory Council (CEPAC) on June 20, 2014 –
 

Boston, Mass., May 22, 2014 – The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has posted the draft report “Management of Patients with Opioid Dependence: A Review of Clinical, Delivery System, and Policy Options” for public comment. This report will be the subject of deliberation and vote at the next public meeting of CEPAC on Friday, June 20, 2014 in Burlington, Vermont. This report aims to help the members of CEPAC and the public understand the latest evidence on the relative effectiveness and value of different treatment options for individuals with opioid dependence. The report prepared for CEPAC includes a systematic review of published literature, budget impact analyses, and results from surveys and interviews with leading policy experts in the field. The report will be available for public comment until Thursday, June 12, 2014.

CEPAC’s public deliberation of the evidence will provide clarity and guidance to patients and their families, clinicians, insurers, and policymakers confronted with decisions on how best to manage opioid dependence and establish policies that minimize the destructive effects of addiction. The meeting will also convene experts and state leaders from all six New England states to discuss best practice strategies to manage dependency while tackling issues related to access, costs, and safety. Governors in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont all cited combating growing opioid abuse as a major priority in their State of the State addresses, and Governor Shumlin of Vermont, who devoted his entire speech to rising opioid abuse in his state, will attend the June CEPAC meeting and deliver opening remarks, schedule permitting.

Meeting Details
Date:   Friday, June 20, 2014
Time:  10:00 AM – 4:00PM ET
Location: University of Vermont, Memorial Lounge, Waterman Building 85 S Prospect Street Burlington, VT 05405

Members of the public wishing to attend the meeting should register here by June 18, 2014. The CEPAC webiste also includes instructions for those wishing to submit written comments prior to the meeting, and for those requesting the opportunity to make public comments at the meeting. Members of the public wishing to submit a written public comment on the draft report should deliver their remarks to info@icer-review.org before 5:00 PM EST on June 12, 2014. Members of the public wishing to deliver an oral remark at the June 20, 2014 CEPAC meeting must email info@icer-review.org by 5:00 PM ET June 17, 2014. Please note that slots for making a public comment are limited and will be assigned in the order that requests are received.

An audio recording of the June 20th meeting will be made available on the CEPAC website following the meeting for members of the public unable to attend the in-person meeting. A live webcast of the meeting will also be available, details for which will be posted to the CEPAC website in advance of the meeting.

About CEPAC
CEPAC is a regional body whose goal is to provide objective, independent guidance on the application of medical evidence to clinical practice and payer policy decisions across New England. Backed from a consortium of New England state health policy leaders, CEPAC holds public meetings to consider evidence reviews of a range of topics, including clinical interventions and models for care delivery, and provide judgments regarding how the evidence can best be used across New England to improve the quality and value of health care services. ICER manages the day-to-day operations of CEPAC as one of its core programs meant to translate and implement existing evidence reviews to improve their usefulness for patients, clinicians, and payers. For more information about CEPAC, please visit cepac.icer-review.org.

About ICER
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) is an independent non-profit health care research organization dedicated to improving the interpretation and application of evidence in the health care system. ICER directs two core programs: the California Technology Assessment Forum (CTAF), and the New England Comparative Effectiveness Public Advisory Council (CEPAC). For more information about ICER, please visit ICER’s website, www.icer-review.org.

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